The Languages spoken in Monaco

The official language of the country of Monaco is French; it is a result of the dominant role France that has long had over the microstate. French nationalists make up 47% of the population, forming the principality’s largest population group. The literacy rate in Monaco is 99% with many people speaking French, Italian, and English.

Italian is the second most widely spoken language in Monaco. The reason behind the prominence of Italian as a common Monaco language is that many citizens of Monaco are from Italy and have well preserved their language of Monaco but was later replaced by French. The Italian speaking community comprises 16% of the total Monaco population.

The English language is also spoken widely in Monaco by the citizens who are of English origin. Moreover Monaco is major tourist place attracting the influx of tourists who speak English language, increasing the popularity of English as major language.

Apart from these three main groups of Monaco languages there are also two popular languages in Monaco – the Monegasque and Occitan languages. Monegasque language is widely spoken in Monaco apart from English and French, the national anthem of Monaco, which is “Hymne Monegasque”, is written in the Monegasque language. It represents only 16% of the total population. The Occitan is a Romance language spoken widely in Monaco. Most of the people in Monaco speak Occitan as their first language, but with time it is losing its popularity.